Imaginary Inhabitation - when the dreamed space appears more real than everyday life. A story about the formation of spatial phenomena. A seduction to becoming spatial.
Architecture theory traditionally addresses the bodily form as the blueprint of a building, and the bodily expression as the foundation of the spatial expression of architecture. Interestingly, already in the 19th century architectural theories such as the Empathy Theory suggested that the bodily ability to empathise is fundamental for the perception of architectural qualities. However, this theory didn’t noticeably impact the dominant design practices, partially because of the gap between it and a conscious bodily practice.
This presentation is an excerpt from the doctoral research in architecture which attempts to close this gap by translating architectural concepts into movement practices. It aims at the experiential (and potentially empirical) verification of these theories and thus finding their application in actual design practice. For the layperson it offers a guidance towards the re-embodied reception of architecture by demystifying ‚the sense of space‘ and legitimising the daydreaming. For movement practitioners it reveals striking parallels between the language of some somatic techniques and apparent bodily sensibility of architectural theoreticians.